1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation apparatus and image forming apparatus having this operation apparatus, more particularly, relates to an operation apparatus and image forming apparatus having this operation apparatus which can adequately notify users of status information of other apparatuses connected to the operation apparatus.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, an operation apparatus and image forming apparatus having this operation apparatus which detects a remaining amount of a printing agent such as toner or ink to display a state where printing is soon to become impossible although printing of images can continue, that is, a near-empty state, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit on an operation panel.
This operation apparatus and image forming apparatus display an error message on an LCD and rings a buzzer when it is detected that the remaining amount of ink of any specific color is a near-empty state. By this means, when the remaining amount of ink of any specific color reaches the near-empty state, the operation apparatus and image forming apparatus can notify this state to users around the operation apparatus and image forming apparatus.
In addition, when error transmission mode for transmitting an error including the near-empty state to a specific transmission destination, is set in the operation apparatus and image forming apparatus, the operation apparatus and image forming apparatus transmit contents of this error to the transmission destination such as a manager who manages this image forming apparatus when the error occurs. By this means, the operation apparatus and image forming apparatus can report that the remaining amount of ink of any specific color has reached a near-empty state, to transmission destinations (telephone numbers of, for example, fixed line phones of an outside or fixed contact destination, cellular telephones and pocket beepers, and electronic mail addresses of cellular telephones and personal computers) set in advance in the image forming apparatus, so that it is possible to more reliably broadcast to users that the amount of ink remaining is low.
However, with the above operation apparatus and image forming apparatus, when the near-empty state is detected once, “near-empty” keeps being displayed on the LCD as long as an ink cartridge is not exchanged and the amount of ink remaining does not increase, and information related to the current function such as current mode setting of the image forming apparatus is not displayed on the LCD, and therefore there is a problem that users have difficulty and feel inconvenience in learning the current function.
As a technique for solving this problem, an image printing apparatus which can print images on printing target media using a printing agent, is disclosed which has: detecting means for detecting a remaining printing agent; broadcasting means for broadcasting the detection result of the detecting means; and controlling means for controlling the detecting means and broadcasting means, and in which, when the detecting means detects that the remaining amount of the printing agent is equal to or less than a predetermined amount although printing of images on printing target media can be continued, and the controlling means makes the broadcasting means broadcast for a predetermined period that the remaining amount of the printing agent is equal to or less than a predetermined amount, and then makes the broadcasting means stop broadcasting and broadcast information related to the current function of the image printing apparatus. With this configuration, users can recognize the near-empty state and recognize information related to the current function such as current mode setting of the image printing apparatus.